Stationary washtub.



No. 725,365. PATENTED APR. 14, 1903.

J. REID & L. M. HOOPER. STATIONARY WASHTUB.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

No. 725,365. PATENTED APR. 14, 1903.

J. REID & L. M. HOOPER.

STATIONARY WASHTUB.

APPL IGATION FILED AUG. 8, 1901.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 UNrrEr) STATES PATE T UFEIcE. 1

JOHN REID, OF YoNKERs, NEW YORK, AND Louis M. HOOPER, OF RUTHER- FORD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO THE J. L. MOTT IRON wORKs, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

STATIONARY WASHTU B.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 725,365, dated April 14, 1903.

Application filed August 8, 1901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, JOHN REID, of Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, and LOUIS M. HOOPER, of Ruther- 5 ford,in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, both citizens of the United States, have invented an Improvement in Stationary Washtubs, of which the following is a specification.

Washtubs are extensively made use of, each tub being made of one piece of earthenware, and such tubs are generally arranged in groups of two or three together, so that in the ordinary operations of washing the clothes may be passed from one tub, in which they have been washed, into an adjoining tub, in which they are rinsed or in which the operations of bluing or starching are performed.

The object of the present invention isto provide for supporting and adjusting the porcelain tubs so that the top edges are brought parallel to each other and to provide a removable platform that rests upon the adjacent edges of the tubs at the top thereof and means for securely holding the same in,

place.

We provide the adjacent tubs with recesses in the bottoms, especially near the front cor- 0 ners, and legs having projections passing up into said recesses and a cross-bar with eyes at the ends extending across between the adjacent legs of two tubs for connecting the tubs together, and we employ brackets connected to the wall and constructed with parts that extend to connections with the tubs for supporting the tubs from the wall, and we prefer with these brackets to employ braces that extend therefrom to and around the 40 tops of the legs adjacent to the cross-bar, and we prefer, further, to employ, in connection with the earthenware tubs, separate earthenware back-plates having their lower edges recessed for receiving and covering the top back edges of the washtubs and a removable platform adapted to rest upon the top adjacent edges of the washtubs, and a connection for the back end of the platform upon the Wall between the earthenware backs.

:the platform being shown in elevation.

legs and supports for the tubs.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation Serial No. 71,294.. (No model.)

of the platform and a cross-section through the porcelain tub and back. Fig. 2 represents the adjacent ends of two tubs and backs, one of the tube. being in section and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the platform. Fig. 4 is a plan view at the upper end of the adjacent Fig. 5 is an elevation of the socket that receives the end of the platform; and Fig. 6 is a cross-section through the lower part of a porcelain tub and an elevation of a supporting-leg, showing a modification of our invention.

\Ve have shown portions of two tubs a I). These are of earthenware or other suitable material and of any desired character or configuration, and these tubs-are to be arranged in groups of two orthree together. They are supported by legs 0, which'legs may be of any desired character or configuration, and we prefer to provide recesses in the bottom surfaces of the tubs at the corners for the reception of studs 3 at the upper ends of the legs 0, which studs pass into such recesses, so that the legs are not liable to becomeiseparated from the tubs or the tubs to slip upon the legs and the supports, and upon the upper end of each leg a screw-thread is cut and a not 4 is provided thereon for acting against the under surface of the tub or against the intervening cross-bar and braces for the purpose of raising or lowering the tub to bring the upper edges of the adjacent tubs substantially upon the same level. We prefer to employ braces 6, extending from the upper portion of each leg to brackets f, that are fastened to the wall or othersupport at the back, and these braces hold the top of the leg and the tub to the Wall, so as to preventany movement Of the tub away from the wall. We

'further' make use of a cross-bar cl, extending from one tub to the other and connecting the adjacent legs, and it is advantageous to make the openings'in the cross-bar at the respective ends thereof elongated, so as not only to receive the upper ends of the legs,but to allow for the slight variations thatmay arise in the positions of the legs with reference to the distance apart that the tubs are placed.

We usually provide screws 5, passing through the braces e and acting against the under surface of the tubs near the back edges for supporting such tubs at this place. These porcelain tubs are usually of considerable thickness in order to obtain the necessary strength, and they are consequently very heavy, and their weight when properly supported, as aforesaid, is usually sufficient for obtaining the necessarystability of the tubs in the washing operation.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6 we dispense with the braces 6, but provide studs 3 at the upper ends of the legs (3 to pass into recesses in the porcelain tubs and the cross-bar d, as has heretofore been described with reference to the other figures. In this modification, however, we employ one or more bracket-plates 9, secured to the wall or other support, and each of said plates 9 is provided with a stud entering a recess 10 in the under side of the tub near the rear portion, and we prefer to employ one of such bracket-plates and studs at each back corner and rear portion of the tub.

We provide a platform g, preferably of wood and sufficiently wide to cover the adjacent upper edges of the tubs, and in view of the surfaces of the porcelain tubs usually being smooth and glazed we make use of rubber cups 7, preferably introduced into recesses in the under surface of the platform and connected by screws 8, and these rubber cups are placed in such a position as to be immediately over the central portions of the convex edges of the tubs and in this manner lateral slipping is effectually prevented. We further employ an eyebolt 6, passing through the platform and receiving the upper end of a tie rod 2:, which tie-rod is screw-threaded at its lower end and provided with a thumb-nut acting below the cross-bar d when the tie-rod is swung into the central notch of said crossbar. By means of this tie-rod the platform can be drawn down upon the top edges of the washtnbs with suflicient force for holding the same firmly in position.

In many places it is most convenient to make use of porcelain or earthenware backs a b, with the lower edges lapping over the top edges of the tubs a b at the back, and these earthenware backs are seen red against the wall or other support in any desired manner and there is a space between the ends of these backs, and in this space we place a metal socket h, secured to the wall in the proper position for receiving into it the back end of the platform g, such back end being made narrower to fit such socket, andby this construction the back end of the platform is reliably supported without taking a bearing upon the tubs themselves. Hence the platform has three points of support, the one in a socket at the back end and the other two upon the rubber cups 7 on the top edges of the tubs.

The platform g is convenient for supportin g articles during the washing of clothes, and

by its connections to the devices supporting and connecting the tubs together and to the wall the same is held firmly in place.

It will be apparent that the recesses in the bottoms of the tubs for the upper ends of the legs form a convenient way of preventing the legs slipping beneath the tubs, and the tubs so constructed are not liable to injury in transportation.

We claim our invention 1. The combination with two adjacent tubs having recesses in the bottoms near the front corners, of legs having projections passing up into said recesses, a cross-bar with eyes at its ends extending across between the adjacent legs of the two tubs for connecting the tubs together, bracket connections to the wall at the rear of the tubs as supports, and means connecting the bracket devices to the tubs to prevent a forward movement of the tubs from the wall or support and prevent lateral motion.

2. The combination with two adjacent tubs having recesses in the bottoms near the front corners, of legs having projections passing up into said recesses, braces having eyes at the outer ends setting around the tops of the legs, and connections at the back ends to the wall, and a cross-bar with eyes atits ends extending across between the adjacent legs of the two tubs for connecting the tubs together and nuts around the legs at their upper parts for adjusting and supporting the tubs, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the separate adjacent washtubs having recesses in the bottoms near the front corners, of legs having projections passing up into said recesses, braces having eyes in their front ends through which the upper ends of the legs pass, and bracket connections to the wall holding the rear ends of such braces, and a bar passing from one leg to the other and connecting the adjacent tubs, substantially as set forth.

at. The combination with the tubs having recesses in their under surfaces, of legs having pin projections at their upper ends entering such recesses, and nuts upon the legs for vertical adjustment in supporting the tubs, braces extending from the upper ends of the legs and connections at their back ends to the wall and a cross-bar extending from the top of one leg to the top of the adjacent leg, substantially as set forth.

' 5. The combination with an open earthenware vessel having recesses in the under surface of the corners, of legs with the upper ends setting under such vessel and within said recesses, devices secured in a fixed position to the wall or support at the back of the tub to prevent a forward movement of the tub from the wall or support and to prevent lateral motion, and means for vertically adj usting the bearing of the legs beneath the tubs for leveling the same.

6. The combination with two adjacent tubs having supporting-legs at the front corners,

ICC

of a cross-bar extending across, between and means for securing the same to the adjacent tubs, a removable platform adapted to rest upon the top adjacent edges of the Washtubs and. a connection from the under side of the' connecting the tubs together, a removable platform ad apted. 'to rest upon the top adjacent'edges of the washtubs, an eyebolt pass, ing through the platform and a tie-rod connected thereto at one end and adjustably connected to the cross-bar at the other end,

substantially as specified.

Signed by us this 22d day of July, 1901. JOHN REID.

L. M. HOOPER. Witnesses:

JOHN REID, Jr., C. H. BANTJE. 

